Measuring and dispensing device



July 23, 1957 A. B. NlxoN 2,800,257

MEASURING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. 2. 1954 A TTO RNEKparticularly convenient for coffee;

,-4 l Batented July 1957` MEASURING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Arthur'B.Nixon, Los. Angeles, Calif. Application August 2,1954, SerialNo.,447,213 4 Claims. (Cl. 2224-454) This invention relates to measuringand ldispensing apparatus, and more particularly to a measuring anddispensingdievice for dry material, such as' coffee andA other drymaterials. l

Thegeneral object of the invention isto, provide a: device of thecharacter stated, which; may be easily attached to a conventionalcontainer after the cover thereof has been removed, to forma part ofsaidv container to keep the. coni tents thereofv sealed, when the deviceis notbeingused.

Amore particular object is toprovide. adevice includ# ing. meansforeasily adjustingthe, measuringfand' sealing. element to allow release ofcoffee or otherdry material .to the exact quantity desired.

My. measuring andV dispensing d'efviktefisV adapted to deliveridentical. volumes of materia1leacl`1 tiine i't'simateri'alVv containeris inverted, but my device can be made in different sizes to deliver anypredetermined volume or amount of material. For example, thedevice-canbe constructed to invariably deliver a teaspoonful, or toinvariably deliver a cupfulof material'. A- tablespoonful would be a.teaspoonful `for sugar, and a `cupful for flour. Anyotherdescribedsizeior capacity-would be easily constructed and.A aseasily used.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter as this specicationprogresses.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my invention shown applied to acommercial can of coffee.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. on `line 2-2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a -sectional View like Fig. 2 of my invention, shown in aninclined position in the act of dispensing a measured amount of coffeefrom a conventional coffee container.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of my invention, shown'held in an inclinedposition like Fig. 4 and in the act of dispensing a measured amount ofcoffee from a conventional coffee container into a coffee percolator.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in which the same parts aredesignated by the same'reference numerals in all of the figures, myinvention includes a base cap 1, a tubular measuring and dispensingreceptacle 2, upstanding from said cap 1, and an unapertured measuringand sealing disc 3 slidably fitted in said measuring and dispensingreceptacle 2.

The cap 1 comprises a cylindrical rim 4 and an outer circular wall 5,said rim being formed at its outer edge with an internal annular flange6 upon which rests and is secured thereto the outer edge portion of saidouter circular wall 5. The rim 4 is preferably made of flexible plastic,such as vinylite to t snugly lover and against the upper edge portion ofa container such as a conventional coiee container 7.

The inner end 8 of the measuring and dispensing receptacle 2 is formedintegral with the edge of an opening 9 1 taken yin the,outer wall 5;ofthe base 1 of myy measuring and 'dispensing receptaclev 2, throughwhich opening9 said `basecap Leommunicateswiththe. inner end of saidmeas` uringand dispensing `receptacle 2. l

The lower. portion, of the4 cylindrical wall 10 of the measuring anddispensing receptacle 2 is providedwith an outlet` 11 formed by anotch,12 located below said mea-suring andsealing, disc 3in, one side ofsaid wall 10 and extendingv to a. length` of one-half. of thecircumferenceofsaidreceptacle wall 10, the upper edge 13 of said notch.extending directly straight transversely of said ref ceptacle wall 1.0-and the Vlower edge of said notch extending downwardly` atan inclinefrom the inner ends 15` of Upper edgeylofthe-notchl2to the lower arcuateouter. end 16,of said notch at` the forward side of the receptacle-:wall10,.' and. there being a lower inclined wall 17 formingga lowerinclinedsi-de of theV notch 12, and extending downwardly from the upperinner ends. 15 of said notch to .thefouter lower arcuate end.1.6 offsaidlower side wall 17 of said:` notch. for the'purpose hereinafter morefully dre-` scribed...V The; front sidefof the wall` 10 of the.measuring and` dispensing, receptacle 2` is formed with a spout 18extending outwardly from said` wall 10. and `downwardly therefrom totheforward end 19 of the lower edge 13 of j y the.: notch.. 12. in thefrontsidelof the measuring and dispensing receptacle 2, for the purposehereinafter more fully described.` From the upper'vend of the inclinedlowery wall 1,7` ofjthey outletV notch 12, a flange 20 extendssubstantially coaxially of the measuring anddispensing receptacle-21and. diametricallyof `said receptacle between. the inner ends 15 oftheupperA edge, 1T).` ogfoutlet notch` 12, from the upper edge 20 ofwhich flange 20 the amount of Y materaladispensed. from the receptacle2V is measured in the manner. hereinafter described. p

O11` .the wall: 10'V of theV measuring and dispensing receptacle. 2.are` four vtransverse marks in superimposed spaced. relation above theYupper edge of the measuring flange-20, markedl Cup, 2 Cups, 3 Cups, and4 Cups, respectively, for measuring the amount of material dispensed, inthe: manner hereinafter` more fully described.

To'ftheupperside of the measuring and sealing disc 3 is securedthe lowerend of a'handle 21 which may be grasped by ones hand to move said discup or down in the measur ing and dispensing receptacle 2, to registerwith any one of the marks l Cup, 2 Cups, 3 Cups, or 4 Cups,respectively,

to indicate the amonut of material measured to be dispensed. p

A plurality of exible fiber friction strips 22 are secured,respectively, near their inner` ends to the upper side of the measuringand sealing disc 3, at 23, and `said friction strips are benttransversely outwardly into sliding and frictional engagement with theinner side of the cy- -lindrical Wall 10 of the measuring and dispensingreceptacle 2 to hold the measuring and sealing disc 3 in any position towhich it may be moved in said receptacle 2 for measuring ,and dispensingmaterial in said receptacle.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

The cover or cap of a container, such as a conventional commercialcontainer of coffee 7, is iirst removed from the top of said container.The base cap 1 of my measuring and dispensing device is then iitted overthe open top of said container 7, with the inner side of the cap ring 4fitted tightly over the upper end portion of said container after inwardpressure is applied against the outer side of the upper wall S of saidcap 1, as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4 of the drawing. The handle 21 of themeasuring disc 3 is then grasped and said measuring disc is moved in themeasuring and sealing receptacle 2 until said disc coincides with one ofthe measuring marks on the front of said receptacle, for example, themark indicated 2 Cups, indicating amount of coffee to be measured anddispensed from said container 7 (see Fig. 4. The container 7 and mymeasuring and dispensing device are then suitably inclined,

whereupon coffee drops from the container 7 into the measuring anddispensing LTreceptacle 2 through the inletA open end 9 of saidreceptacle and the space between the inclined notch wall 17 andtlange20, and theopposite rear portion of the receptacle -Wall 10,against the measuring disc 3 between said disc and the measuring edgel20of said measuring ange 20, whereby an amount of dry coffee for makingtwo cups of coffee for drinking is measured in the receptacle 2 betweenthe measuring disc 3 and the measuring edge 20 of the ange 20. Mymeasuring and dispensing device and container 7 are then broughtintodispensing position with the measuring and dispensing receptacle 2,inclined slightly upwardly and outwardly with relation to the horizontalas shown in Fig. 4 and 5, with the notch 12 directly above the upper endof acoffee percolator 24, in which position of. my measuring'andV 2, andthe ange 20 being above the colee in the lower part of said receptacle(Fig. 4), no coffee can rise from the lower part of said receptacle overthe upper edge 20' of ange 20 and pass out of said receptacle throughthe outlet 11 and notch 12. I

My measuring and dispensing device is preferably made of transparentplastic, so that the coffee or other material from the container 7 maybe seen through the transparent i walls of the device, while measuringthe material in the device for dispensing the same therefrom.

I claim:

l. A device for measuring and dispensing material from a container,including a cap adapted to lit over the open end of a conventionalcontainer of suitable material, a measuring and dispensing receptacle incommunication with and outstanding from said cap to receive materialfrom said container through said cap, said receptacle being providedwith a notch in one side thereof formed with an inclined wall closingthe lower side of said notch, the upper side of said notch forming anoutlet leading-from vsaid receptacle, an unapertured measuring discclosing the outer end of said measuring and dispensing receptacle, fromwhich container material may be poured through said cap into saidreceptacle against said measuring disc, when said container and saidreceptacle are lsuitably inclined for measuring a quantity of materialin said receptacle to be dispensed, which material, when so measured,may be dispensed from said receptacle through said outlet, when saidreceptacle and cap, and said container are held in a suitably inclinedposition to the horizontal.

2. A device for measuring and dispensing material as claimed in claim 1,in which a ange extends outwardly from the upper inner end of saidinclined wall, at the inner end of said outlet, and across saidreceptacle, with the outer edge of said flange forming an innermeasuring edge, between which edge and said measuring disc said materialis measured in said receptacle for dispensing said measured materialfromsaid receptacle through said outlet.

v 3.. A' device for measuring and dispensing materialV as claimed in'claim 1, in .which said, measuring disc isf slidably mounted in saidmeasuring and dispensing receptacle, to be moved insaid receptacle todifferent positions with relation to said outlet, for measuringdifferent quantitiesof'material to be dispensed from said receptaclethrough saidoutlet.

4. A deviceas claimed in claim 1, in, which said measuring disc isslidably mounted in said measuring and 4dispensing receptacle, to bemoved in said receptacle to different positionsiwith relation to saidoutlet, for meas# uring dilerent'quantities of material .to be dispensedfrom said receptacle through said outlet, or for closing said outlet andthe outer end of said receptacle to prevent discharge of 'material fromsaid receptacle and said container.

' References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS372,263 Hazelton Oct. 25, 1887 1,337,440 Clappison` Apr. 20, 19201,568,923 Ruiz Jan. 5, 1926 1,576,497 Austin Mar. 16, 1926 2,243,452Bickel et all May 27, 1941 2,487,825 OlViS Nov. 15, 1949 2,645,388Hester July 14, 1953

